Scott Stapp definitely believes in staying busy. Just last week he completed his coast-to-coast solo tour in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Creed’s foundational and formidable first album, “My Own Prison.” Few artists ever produce an album of songs so entrenched into the hearts and consciousness of an entire generation of fans, but for Scott Stapp, the milestone of that chart-topping and career-making collection was just a beginning. Perhaps both the rush and the crush under the weight of fame that followed with “Human Clay” and “Weathered” became forces that couldn’t help but consume the artist under their tidal waves.
The composer himself didn’t fully comprehend the cycle of choices, consequences, and self-medication that became part of life even at the height of Creed’s reign. It was not until a very public coming to terms in 2014 that Scott Stapp began to realize that he was battling more than the commonplace demons of rock 'n roll.
Like the dozens of anthems, he has penned that echo with hope on the other side of disaster, Scott Stapp has found the light at the end of years through more than one dark tunnel. He is a singer at the pinnacle of his vocal prowess and making the most of fronting his solo performances and Art of Anarchy amidst this productive peak. He is a husband and a father who cherishes those roles with renewed devotion and gratitude.
He is a performer who punctuates every note with a conviction and passion that annihilates the unfeeling, limp and looped electronica that fills stages today. Fans leaving a Scott Stapp show feel the sensory smack of that emotion to the core, and he’s is about to be a sonic superhero all summer long.
The hottest of July’s
Scott Stapp has just weeks to catch a breath or two and savor cherished time with family in the comfort of home before taking a second tour swing with Art Of Anarchy since the release of “The Madness” in March.
The jamming sessions in the basement with Jon and Vince Votta, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal from Gun N’ Roses, and John Moyer from Disturbed not only coalesced the sound for the new venture but put the band on solid footing in shared sobriety. That commitment brought new focus to Scott Stapp and the band as deeper exploration was probed in the writing process.
Nothing is held back in the songs, and the mirror is angled for a full inner view as a “Changed Man” is born once more.
Dates run from July 15 through August 12 and take the band from Clarksville, TN, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Illinois, North Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska before a finishing show in Colorado. Scott Stapp and Bumblefoot are old hands by now as bus mates, since Bumblefoot stepped in as lead guitarist on the solo tour.
“Having my wife and my family, my kids, and the support of friends” is crucial to what has been “a great three years” for Scott. “Doing what I gotta do to stay sober is working” the songwriter stresses, and he knows that success will always come one day at a time.
He loves being able to “live life on the other side” and he's determined to “keep the focus on the music and being an artist” without letting his personal struggles swallow those high points or the headlines. Hitting bottom is a different experience for everyone, as Scott Stapp realizes, and now, he looks forward to more “Hello’s” and new horizons instead of backward glances.
More headlining in August
Scott Stapp will be headlining the Make America Rock Again Tour in August through early September. Tickets are on sale now, and the baritone will be joined on the bill by Drowning Pool, Trapt, Adelitas Way, and Sick Puppies. Special guests like P.O.D,, Fuel, and Puddle of Mudd will appear on select dates.
That tour revs up in motorcycle heaven at Sturgis, SD on August 4.
Another kind of spotlight
Apart from his time onstage, Scott and his wife, Jaclyn, live to bring hope and better lives to others, and recently were honored as recipients of the Florida Service Award by Bmi-Broadcast Music and the Florida Association of Broadcasters for the many social and service outreaches that are personal extensions of the couple’s compassion and vision beyond themselves. Beyond their own foundations, Scott and Jaclyn have partnered with ChildFund International on his tours to provide enhanced educational and life enrichment opportunities to children in underprivileged areas around the world. The family now makes Tennessee home, where their giving missions continue.
The courage, unity, openness that the Stapp family has shown in sharing their pathway in living with Scott's bipolar disorder and lifestyle in recovery has given strength to so many, allowing them to emerge from stigmas and live full, enriching lives. Scott and Jaclyn are active ambassadors for the National Alliance on Mental Illness in the I Will Listen campaign.
Fans have a whole summer of music ahead to celebrate with Scott Stapp, and the writer-rocker will be living out those choruses of strength through struggle and always finding that “something left” through every show.
